News from Sheffield Labour

Corus redundancies shock local MP

Local MP’s concern over Corus Steel redundancies.

Angela Smith MP today expressed shock and huge concern at the announcement that Corus Engineering Steels are to make 379 posts redundant at its Stocksbridge operation.

The redundancies come at a time when the company is working at vastly reduced capacity and only five months after the last round of redundancies.

Angela has spoken to CES management and has met recently with Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, to press hard for support for the steel industry.

The local MP has two major concerns going forward. She wants to see government doing all it can to support CES in its efforts to remain competitive in the long-term. She thinks the government can help with further financial aid for training budgets and with support in terms of rationalizing land use on the Stocksbridge site.

Angela’s second concern is for those workers who are to lose their jobs. She wants to see employment services made available in the town, as quickly as possible, in order to maximize opportunities for a quick return to work.

Angela said:

“The news that 379 workers are to be made redundant from the Stocksbridge plant is a shock and I feel for those who are about to lose their jobs. I will do all I can to help them at this difficult time. The impact on the local economy is also potentially huge.

“Stocksbridge is a small town with a population of just over 13,000, so job losses like this are keenly felt. I am pressing for an immediate assessment to be made of the potential impact of this news on the local economy, in order that we can respond to the challenge as effectively as possible.”

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